Many of the superheroes that make it to the big screen get there because they’re so major they need no explanation. Whether or not you’re a devoted comic book reader, you probably already knew who Superman or Batman or Spider-Man was before you picked up tickets for their respective movies.

But then there are the weirder, more obscure ones — the ones non-nerds may not have even heard of. And as Marvel Studios heads into ever stranger corners of the Cinematic Universe with Guardians of the Galaxy, we’re about to meet plenty more of those. Fortunately, a new video offers a quick way to get the rundown on Marvel’s other cinematic superhero team. Hit the jump to check it out.

IGN posted the video. Longtime fans won’t find anything they didn’t already know, but for newbies wondering just what the heck a Star-Lord is or why that raccoon is wielding a gun, this is a much easier way to get the basics than sifting through endless summaries on Wikipedia.

Let’s bring this back to the upcoming movie directed by James Gunn. The plot follows “a U.S. pilot who ends up in space in the middle of a universal conflict and goes on the run with futuristic ex-cons who have something everyone wants.” Said pilot is Star-Lord, played by Chris Pratt, and he’s the only cast member locked in right now.

Jason Momoa was reportedly offered the role of Drax, but has since passed. Groot and Rocket Raccoon will be created through a combination of CG and motion capture; earlier rumors pegged Jim Carrey or Adam Sandler as possibilities for those characters.

Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has previously said that Guardians of the Galaxy would be “much more of a standalone film” set about “95%” in space, and that the Avengers wouldn’t be involved. But they do take place in the same universe, and as pointed out by IGN, there are certainly ways the two superpowered teams could cross paths eventually.

And now you can consider yourself all prepped for Guardians of the Galaxy when it opens August 1, 2014.